At Winter's End
by xxxxCrimson Moonxxxx
Summary: AU-Cruentus is seeking to expand its borders, and what better land to take than Guardia? When Guardia's oracle has a vision of terror taking hold, the Royal Sentry must find the Embryo, a powerful weapon, before Winter's end. But who else is seeking it?


The picturesque wheat field, once an image of peace and serenity, was painted crimson with the mournfully-spilt blood of the warriors. Mournfully-spilt, that is, for the fighters of Guardia, capital and protector of the land the gods had dubbed Caelum. The Cruentians, who stood against the Guardians in this blood spattered war, were ravinous for the ruby nector. They, vampires in all but truth, hailed from the faroff continent of Cruentus, which, in its gluttony and greed, was striking out at Guardia in an attempt to expand its pitiful borderes. By taking Guardia, they could easily roundup the smaller and more helpless countries, whom the Guardians protected. So the two sides came to stand, bruised and determined, on that blood stained wheat field, in the first, cold morning of winter.

The Guardians were down to there last soldiers, all of whom were staring in horror at their fur and leather clad attackers. They restlessly shifted their holds on their various Aras, magical characters that transform from bauble to weapon when one knows the correct words to speak. Clad in the shining silver of plate armor, the Guardian warriors quietly observed their enemies, taking atvantage of the tacit respite in order to find weaknesses. The Cruentians wore no helmets. Indeed, they bore very little attire at all. What they did posses was sewn with colder climates in mind. With heavy fur and thick leather and not much else, the snarling men were sweating despite the slight frosty bite of the wind. They weilded X-Aras, Aras in negative. Whereas Aras are objects of the light, X-Aras are ruled by darkness.

The legs of the Cruentians were bare, a fact that had already been exploited by the guardians. Many a barbarian could be seen on the field, writhing in agony and clutching at bloody stumps, sad reminders of the limbs with which they once could run. No other flaws in their armor or stance were apparent, and thus the Guardians quickly severed the fleeting silence.

"Charge!" Yelled the general and Head Mage of the royal family, Nikaidou Yuu. And, with that, the troops collided, their bodies moving to the music of screams and the Cruentians' lust-filled war cries.

Lord Yuu swung his great staff around swiftly, releasing a torrent of burning fire on an unsuspecting Cruentian soldier, who quickly was ablaze with the red heat, fleeing blindly from that which cannot be escaped. The Guardians cheered as the flaming warrior fell upon his otherwise occupied companions, setting them alight in turn. The Cruentian mage growled fiercely, speaking a quick word to his X-Ara. The heavens were suddenly clouded by black, rain falling fast, extinguishing those of the inferno who were not already burned alive.

The fighting continued without halt. A Guardian fell, an X-Ara in the form of an ax having been imbedded in his skull by a laughing Cruentian. He lay quietly on the cold ground, limbs twitching involuntarily and eyes crossed. His companion, angered by the death of a friend, swung his sword Ara around, quickly slicing off the laughing Cruentian's head, sending a fountain of blood into the air, which drenched the wrathful fighter's hair and stained his face. He leapt forward with a roar, aiming for the Cruentian mage, seeking to rid the greatest danger, even if it meant a sacrifice. The wizard was spitting spells at the fighting Guardians, picking them off one by one, but, upon hearing the oncoming soldier as he leapt into the air and raised his sword, the mage spun around. He leeringly raised his X-Ara staff, impaling the determined Guardian on the end. He held the skewered soldier in the air, roaring and laughing to the cheers of his companions. Flicking the staff, he tossed the soldier to the ground, then proceeded to walk on him as he journeyed to new enemies.

"Stop!" The lucid shout echoed over the battlefield as all the soldiers turned to gaze at its perpetrator. Standing there, white shoes gleaming on the blood drenched ground, were six, proportionally tiny and juvenile, children. They stood tall and proud in an arrowhead formation. The young boy at the tip was the one who had given the cry. The soldiers stared at the children, complete silence falling instantly. The seconds ticked by as the proud adolescents stood there, their expressions growing increasingly awkward at the stillness. The blond boy who had shouted clenched his teeth together and put his hands on his hips. Then a cheer broke the silence.

"It's the Sentry! The Royal Sentry is here!" The Guardians erupted into wild shouts, their fear and agony instantly quenched. Watching the children with dumbfounded expressions, the Cruentians burst into laughter, some even falling to the ground in their jubilant mirth.

"Little kiddies can't save you, Guardians!" Gloated the mage. He turned to his companions and beckoned with his giant paws, forming a taunting jeer directed at the Guardians' hope. The blond child in front clenched his fists and prepared to shout something back, when a small hand came to rest on his shoulder. He turned to look at the girl standing at his side. She shook her head and said, irritation in her voice,

"Now really isn't the time for that, Tadase. We can prove them wrong through battle." Tadase sighed.

"Alright, Amu," he said to the strawberry blonde who had spoken, turning to face his five companions. Hinamori Amu—a redheaded beauty, Secondary Princess of Guardia, and Tadase's betrothed though an arranged marriage. Fujisaki Nagihiko—a feminine looking boy of long black hair, Secondary Jack of Guardia. Soma Kukai—the tallest of them all, wild red hair, Head Jack of Guardia. Yuiki Yaya—a light haired blonde, youngest in the Sentry, Head Ace of Guardia. Mashiro Rima—a beautiful girl with golden locks, Head Princess of Guardia, betrothed of Nagihiko through freewill. And, of course, himself, Hotori Tadase—another effeminate boy, short blond hair, Head Prince of Guardia, next in line for the throne. Tadase, taking on the stance of a king, nodded to his companions, ever dignified.

"Sentry!" Once again, his voice filled the battlefield. "Ready, guys?" He asked more quietly. They all nodded, and Tadase turned to face the adults. He looked directly at the Cruentus Mage and flashed an omniscient smile. The Mage's mouth fell open as Tadase screamed, "Attack!"

The children moved as one, each taking out a trinket of some kind from under their armor. Amu brought out a large ruby in the shape of a heart, one of her four Aras. Tadase pulled a small, golden crown from his helmet. A petite crystal flower came from Nagihiko's, as Kukai produced a star of topaz. Yaya hugged a soft doll to herself, and Rima flourished a small opal drop. The Guardian children held the baubles above their heads and spoke the words that only an Ara's true master could know.

"Ran—Ara Nari, Silvis!" The ruby heart began to glow, slowly transforming into a fiery sword. Amu swung the weapon down and pointed it at her enemies, a small smile on her innocent face.

"Kiseki—Ara Nari, Lamreg!" Tadase's crown became a large sword of pure gold. Following Amu's lead, he threw his arm towards the Cruentians, giving the fighters a quick wink.

"Temari—Ara Nari, Pulareg!" His flower morphing into a long and extremely sharp spear, Nagihiko growled at the bloody warriors on the field below.

"Daichi—Ara Nari, Caedu!" The star melted into Kukai's body as golden wings began to sprout forth from his back. Laughing with the rush, he sent a jet of fire from his outstretched fist, slowly rising into the air.

"Pepe-chan—Ara Nari, Carin!" Yaya's little doll became a giant mace, which the tiny girl could barely even lift. She smiled gleefully, swinging the huge thing above her head.

"Kusukusu—Ara Nari, Fosti!" Rima's small droplet lengthened, changing into two silver chains, coated with deadly looking spikes. She glared at the soldiers and began whirling the chains like lassos.

The Cruentians, who had since stopped jeering, blanched slightly, staring with fear at the extravagant weapons they now faced. The Guardian soldiers, however, smiled at their saviors. The barbaric mage glanced at his warriors, before letting out a thunderous war cry and charging, X-Ara raised, at the children. The other Cruentians followed quickly, but the Guardians stayed put, observing the situation. There were about 100 Cruentians left alive, whereas only 6 Sentry members stood on the field. They smiled. This was going to be an entertaining spectacle.

The Cruentians encased the Sentry, encircling them completely. Forming their own small circle within the larger, the Guardians stood back to back, weapons raised, preparing to fight. Then the mage spoke.

"Feel like surrendering, kiddies? We have you surrounded. There is no escape," he leered at the children.

"We'll see who the true cowards are, Cruentian," Kukai smirked. He had fallen back to the ground.

"You'll be the ones begging to surrender in the end," Amu said coldly, her cool and spicy façade surfacing. The Cruentians laughed dubiously.

"We shall see, little girl."

"Yes. We shall," said Amu. And with that, she and the other Sentry members leapt forward, screaming their own battle cries. Rima whipped one length of chain around, encasing ten of the barbarians in claw adorned metal rope. They fell to the ground, tied to each other, writhing in pain as the spikes pierced their sides.

"Hmm," The blonde huffed. "It's what you deserve." With a flick of her wrist, the chain returned to her open hands, leaving the soldiers to thrash, free of binding. They would not die, she knew.

Kukai jumped into the air, laughing as the wind rushed through his hair. The eyes of 15 Cruentians followed him. They involuntarily separated themselves from the rest of the group, pursuing the angel of fire as he flew slightly to the left of the others.

"Gotcha," he said suddenly, winking and snapping his fingers. A ring of fire burst forth around the feet of his followers, trapping them in the blaze. They screamed in fury as Kukai soared back to the fight, leaving them to sit there and wait for the battle to end.

Nagihiko, swift as a cobra, struck a man in the head with the blunt end of his spear, before executing a graceful back flip over another, and catching him in the legs. He straightened and the soldiers fell to the ground, unconscious. He smiled, before kicking another soldier in the face as it attempted to stab Rima while her back was turned.

"Watch out for Pepe-chan!" Yaya yelled as the giant club crashed into four of her enemies at a time. The force sent them flying 10 feet, landing hard on three other Cruentians. "Yay! Yaya did it!" She jumped in victory.

The mere sight of Amu's fiery sword stopped her enemies dead in their tracks, making it too easy for her to knock them out with the hilt of the weapon.

"This is no fun," she sighed as she hit another four on the head. "Daiya—Ara Nari, Silste!" The sword vanished and was replaced by a glowing diamond. The stone melted into her and sprouted from her back as golden wings. Amu flew into the air, joining Kukai as he soared over the battle, chucking pebbles at the Cruentians. She pointed her finger at ten of the soldiers, and, on account of the magic Daiya gave her, they turned into ten small, black cats, which calmly walked out of the fight and began to clean themselves. Kukai laughed and gave Amu a high-five.

Back on the ground, Tadase's sword clashed against the mage's staff, sending golden sparks flying into the air. He quickly threw off the staff and made an underhand swipe at the Cruentian's feet. The mage jumped over the blade and brought the staff down, attempting to carve open Tadase's head, but the prince dodged and spun around the back of the mage. He kicked the wizard, who fell to the ground, face first. By the time he turned over, trying to get up, Tadase had his golden sword Ara at the mage's throat. Cross-eyed, the man stared at the blade, disbelief written in every line of his face. He had lost to a child! The fighting around the pair stopped as everyone turned to look at their two leaders. The mage glanced around at his warriors, before closing his eyes and sighing.

"Looks like the girlie was right," said he. Amu bristled at her new nickname. "We surrender. This time, we surrender. This is not the end, kiddies. Mark my words." Tadase frowned, as did the other Sentry members. Rima slowly walked forward and, using her chains, tied up the Cruentian soldiers.

The Guardian warriors ran to their heroes, cheering their victory. Lord Yuu joined the children, congratulating them each. The prisoners were rounded up and led towards the great castle of Guardia. The Sentry members lagged behind, releasing their Ara Transformations. They watched the Cruentians leave, pondering what the leader had said about future attacks. Amu glanced over the wheat field. So many bodies lay there, both of Guardia and Cruentus. Could Guardia really afford to lose so many soldiers a second time? Would they not, eventually, lose the battle? And if they were defeated, who would protect the other countries in the Treaty Pacis, the treaty of peace they had signed with most other countries of Caelum?

"Looks like you need the embryo just as much as we do," said a voice from behind them. The Guardian children whirled around.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto of Estra!" Shouted Tadase. The blue haired boy smiled mysteriously.


End file.
